RECYCLE: Calling for change

Aberdeen man sees need for greater efficiency

Aberdeen man sees need for greater efficiency

April 20, 2008|By Sarah Ottney, sottney@aberdeennews.com

Aberdonian Bill Kimball, a sanitation truck driver for the city, has a passion for recycling that was sparked from noticing how many recyclable items end up thrown into the trash. When Dependable Sanitation's curbside recycling contract with the city came up for bid, Kimball put his own name in for the job. Although he lost the bid, Kimball put a lot of time into researching recycling. Kimball said he thinks recycling in Aberdeen could be done more efficiently and with more promotion and education about how to recycle. “My goal for Aberdeen would be 100 percent participation. I wouldn't settle for anything less,” Kimball said. “If it's anything less than 100 percent, you're settling, you're giving up.” Although it isn't part of their contract, Dependable owner Mike Erickson said his company has some educational and promotional ideas “on the back burner,” such as public TV spots or possibly gift cards as incentives, and welcomes ideas from anyone who might have them. Kimball thinks Aberdeen should form a recycling committee to discuss ways recycling could improve in Aberdeen. “The only reason recycling is working as well as it is now is that some people are passionate about recycling,” Kimball said. Mayor Mike Levsen agrees, but said the government can't force anyone to do the right thing. “Ultimately, recycling is in the hands of individual home owners,” Levsen said. “... But I can't imagine anyone is not aware of the value of recycling - given the information on wasting resources, so further education to teach people about it is not something I'm sure would be very effective at this point.” Kimball also feels that city leaders need to set a good example. “The city has to be involved. People have to know their leaders want to do it,” Kimball said. “You have to have community leaders at the forefront.” Kimball said he agrees with Levsen to some extent - that most people know about recycling and even know they should do it. Although he thinks some populations, like the elderly, might need or want more help with understanding what can be recycled or how to do it, the main reason many people don't recycle, Kimball believes, is that the city doesn't promote the program as it originally promised to, and no incentives are being offered. “I agree with him (Levsen) that maybe people know about it, but now we need to give them a reason to start caring.”